by Cage, Zion
“I know when you’re hiding something, Xander. Ever since you met that lady, you’ve become glum. If something is eating you up, say it. We are your friends. We’re here to help. It doesn’t matter whether your reason is good; it is always wrong to lie,” she said.
Xander felt like a rat that had been cornered. He swallowed, thinking of what to say. Prim and Grayson had also come to watch him. He couldn’t keep telling them that nothing was wrong. Then again, there was the probability that they wouldn’t believe him. He opened his mouth to speak; then, he paused again.
“Come on, Xander. Say something. What’s going on? Who is that woman? What did she tell you that put you on edge?” Nia pressed.
It was hard for him to keep quiet, but he had to do it. Her life depended on it.
“I’m sorry, guys. I can’t say anything yet. You’re going to have to trust me on this one. You can stop helping me if you want to, but I have to keep this to myself in the meantime,” he said.
Harper sighed and nodded.
“Okay, Xander. If you want it that way.”
◆◆◆
26th November 2021
07:25 pm
Outer Bridge Crossing, Charleston, New York.
USA.
The multitude of migrants cheered as they took seats anywhere they could find. Stephen watched them settle down tiredly. The group of five hundred and eighty people had gone through a lot to get to New York. They had been more numerous than that. Unfortunately, he had to watch many of them die during the journey- older adults, children, sick people. He was sure of one thing: more than half of the American population had died from the migration. Many more were going to die in the days coming. It saddened him. He turned to Bucky.
“Watching these people celebrate their death sentence breaks my heart,” he said in Bucky’s ear. Both chuckled ruefully.
“But, really, what could they do? They can’t see it coming. They trusted their president to take care of them; meanwhile, it was their president that brought this on them,” Bucky whispered back.
“We still have to get them to New York Harbor, and that’ll take, at least, a full day of walking to reach,” Stephen stated.
“You’re eager to see that Russian lady again, aren’t you?” Bucky asked, smiling.
“Well, yes. But not for the reason you’re thinking. I want to know where we’re going with this. I hope she’s not putting us on some wild goose chase.”
Bucky nodded quietly.
“I guess we’ll know all that on the third of December,” he said. Suddenly, he put his hand to his face. “And to think December used to be my favorite time of the year.”
Stephen smiled ruefully at Bucky’s words.
“I’ll miss Christmas karaoke at the Base,” Stephen said, and Bucky laughed.
“You were awful at it,” Bucky said.
“At least, I tried. Someone else was too shy to get on the stage,” Stephen said as he took his bag off his shoulders.
“Not everyone likes to be embarrassed, man,” Bucky said as he watched Stephen search his bag. Finally, Stephen pulled out a tablet. It was the tablet that Suzanne had given him.
“What are you doing, man? I thought she told you not to turn it on or allow anyone to see it,” Bucky whispered nervously.
“Chill out, man. I’m not turning it on. I’m just looking at it,” Stephen said as he turned the tablet over and looked at the plain white back.
“Well, people are going to see it and they’re going to wonder what you’re doing with a tablet. We know that there is a Russian agent among us, but we don’t know who it is. We’re at a disadvantage. We can’t afford to give any clue of what we’re doing,” Bucky said. “Put that thing back in the bag now!”
Stephen sighed and wrapped the tablet in a thick sweater again before putting it in the bag.
“I think we should turn this device in to authorities like the CIA. It could give them clues as to what is happening. It could just be the advantage we need against the Russians,” Stephen said.
“That’s not what the lady said you were to do with it,” Bucky said as he furrowed his brows.
“Damn Suzanne and what she said.”
“You don’t trust her, do you?” Bucky asked. When Stephen didn’t answer, he sighed.
“Bro, you’ dumb like shit! After all that you’ve seen, you still don’t realize that this is way bigger than you are. What authorities are you talking about? The ones that are Russian in disguise? You could get yourself killed if you want; I don’t care. Just don’t mess up what Suzanne is trying to do. She is the only one who knows what is happening. She is probably America’s only hope,” Bucky said as he turned to go elsewhere. Stephen had always been headstrong for as long as they had known each other. He just hoped that Stephen would think things through before acting.
Victor, the soldier he had been paired with to lead the migrants, walked up to him just then.
“Hey, Buck, I think we should walk a couple of hours still. We must get to the harbor. That’s quite a long way to go,” he said.
Bucky shook his head.
“No, Vic. They’re tired. Let them rest for the night. The ship isn’t leaving tomorrow. There’s still enough time,” Bucky said.
Victor nodded; then, he turned and looked at Stephen.
“Hey, Stephen, how are you doing?” he asked with a lopsided smile. Stephen nodded absentmindedly. The guy had been a recluse for most of the journey, only speaking with Bucky and a few migrants occasionally.
He returned his mind to the thoughts of Suzanne. Was it safe to trust her?
◆◆◆
30th November 2021
12:18 pm
South Plain Field, New Jersey.
USA.
Xander sat alone on the stairs, reading ‘NMap for Dummies’. He was almost done with the textbook. That was the third book he had read.
The other migrants were scattered all around the area. He had snuck away from the crowd so that he could study. Grayson wouldn’t leave him to study in peace. She kept pestering him to tell her what was going on. He couldn’t tell her, so he had to avoid her.
By the next day, they would be in New York and he would see Suzanne again. His work would begin. He had to be ready before then.
Someone walked into the building and Xander looked up. It was Joel. Xander sighed.
“How are you doing?” Joel asked.
Xander nodded. “I’m fine, Joel. Thanks. I know what you want to ask.”
Joel nodded and tilted his head.
“Really? Then what is it?”
“Why am I reading this book? I’m sorry. I can’t say anything.”
“Please, Xander. Talk to me.”
Xander bowed his head. He wished Joel would stop. Joel had not asked him about it since the day at the bookshop; however, he knew Joel was still curious.
Joel sighed and went to sit beside Xander.
“You might have noticed how attached I have become to you and your sister. You might also have noticed that I don’t have any family with me on this journey. You guys have become the closest I’ve had to a family. Your well-being has become my concern. I’ve watched a lot of people die during this journey. I don’t want to see you guys die too. I know you may not see me in the same light; however, please just give me the assurance that all is well, and there is no danger awaiting us,” he said.
Xander looked up at Joel. Joel’s words were true. He and Harper had stuck with Xander, Grayson, Nia, and Prim throughout the journey, helping them meet up. Joel cared.
“Can you keep a secret?” he asked Joel. Joel nodded.
Xander sighed; then, he began to speak. When he was done, Joel nodded his head.
“Well, at least, you’re not going to be doing anything really dangerous,” Joel said.
Xander managed a laugh but it was too nervous to sound real. Joel looked at him.
“Are you sure this is real?”
Xander rolled his eyes and looked away.
“I’m asking because, if it is, there is almost no way to stop it. I can’t believe we’ve been fooled all this time. We left the safety of our homes, thinking to be safe in another country,” Joel said in a soliloquy.
“You can’t tell anyone about it, please. Promise me you won’t breathe a word to anyone,” Xander said.
Joel nodded as he raised his hands.
“Of course. It’s too serious to relate with anyone. However, Xander, are you sure you want to trust this woman? You’ve barely met her and she’s proposing to do the impossible.”
“I don’t know much about that. All I know is that she saved my life and spoke Russian with Morgan. There has to be a reason for the kidnappings and, so far, she’s the only one to come forward with an explanation,” Xander said.
Joel nodded and stood up.
“Well, then, I’ll leave you to study. You have a nation to save,” he said as he smiled at Xander. “I’m proud of you. You’re quite courageous after all,”
Xander returned the smile.
“Thanks, Joel,” he said.
Joel walked towards the entrance to the building. The moment he was out of hearing range, he whispered to himself, “Neschastnyy mal’chik.”
The poor boy…
CHAPTER TWO
“Hail The Sun…”
1ST December 2021
10:03 pm
Chestnut Avenue, Rosebank, New York.
USA.
Stephen walked through the row of buildings, trying to draw as little attention as possible. He had left Tanner with Bucky. As Suzanne had instructed him after she had saved his life, he had turned on his device that morning by 5 am. A notification had popped up in the separate window she had created for him. It was a message telling him where to meet her. There were only two more days until the ship arrived. There was a lot to do before then.
Almost the whole of America had arrived in New York. Everywhere was congested. People slept in buildings and on the streets- anywhere that they could find. The government had mandated that every individual in New York opened their buildings for migrants to take residence. He was sure that every building in New York, whether it had been an office, residence, or a store, was now filled with people. All the supplies in New York had been finished already. The less fortunate ones were starving while those who had planned or had been in more fortunate positions hoarded the rations. He wondered how it had been possible for Suzanne to have secured a solitary location for the meeting based on what he saw.
As he walked, he felt like he was being followed. He stopped and looked around him. Everything seemed normal. Many of the migrants on the streets were sleeping or doing stuff they wouldn’t have done in the daytime.
There was nothing unusual.
He kept walking. He was already late for the meeting. He had to hurry up. Making a turn to the next street, he paused. The feeling of being followed came again- this time, stronger than before. He peered around more carefully, picking each detail one after the other. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
He put the feeling aside and went into the three-story building. When he arrived at the topmost floor, he noticed that the lobby entrance had a steel gate that was locked with three large padlocks.
Now it makes sense…
He didn’t knock. Instead, he shouted, “I can’t believe I’m going to Spain.”
For the first couple of seconds, there was no response. Then he heard the door of the room beyond the gate open. Out came a young girl- probably in her teens. She flipped her dark hair as she came towards him with a bunch of keys and opened the padlocks.
“Hey, lady, who are you? What are you doing here?” he asked. He had expected the meeting to be a private one.
“You must be Stephen,” the girl said. “Come on in. Suzanne has been waiting for you.”
Just then, a younger man came up the stairs, looking edgy. He wore a black backpack.
“Alexander, right?” the young lady asked him, and he nodded.
“I’m sorry; all this is just making me a little jumpy. I’ve never been part of a secret meeting before,” he said, holding out a hand to shake her. She took his hand.
“Well, Suzanne is waiting for us inside. She seems nice. I think we’re safe,” the girl said.
Xander turned to shake the larger man’s hand.
“Hey, you’re the guy I saw walking down the street. I didn’t know you were coming this way,” Xander said.
Stephen hadn’t seen Xander as he came.
Well, that explains the feeling of being followed…
“Well, it’s a small world; that’s what they say, right?” Stephen said as they followed the young lady through the gate. She locked the gate and led them to the apartment.
” By the way, I’m Aaliyah. It’s great to work with you guys,” the girl said.
“You too, Aaliyah,” Stephen said in courtesy. Xander was too preoccupied with his thoughts to reply. They entered the room and found Suzanne sitting on a couch. She beamed at them.
“Welcome. You made it. I feared that you both had bailed on me,” she said as she motioned for them to sit. There were two other large couches in the room and, in the corner, there was a desktop computer.
Stephen rolled his eyes as he, Aaliyah and Xander sat down.
“I’m only here because of the possibility that the lives of so many Americans are about to be thrown away by filthy Russians,” he said.
“Well, that’s why we are all here, actually. Besides, you need to be careful when you point fingers. Not all Russians are involved in this. Even the president of Russia, who everyone blames, is not aware of this,” Suzanne said. “Calm down, Stephen. We’ll get to the bottom of this; however, I need you to trust me.”
Stephen remained quiet at that. Suzanne stood up and addressed everyone together.
“Okay, team. I recruited just the three of you because I believe that the greatest blows dealt to any organization must be planned by as few people as possible and carried out by the crowd. I want to believe that we all realize the gravity of what we’re about to face. The lives of our friends and families are at stake. The Ray of Hope will destroy this nation and every other nation that stands in the way of Russia becoming the world power; then, they will take over Russia and rule. We can’t allow this to happen.”
“But what can any of us do about it? How could we hope to end a plot that the president is involved in? If even the CIA couldn’t stop this, what hope do we have?” Xander asked. He looked sick with worry.
“I have served with the Ray of Hope for so many years. I know their secrets. They are at the peak of their power right now. However, they are most vulnerable now than ever before. If we can strike them at the right points, all their schemes would turn on them. It’s too late to stop the EMP but we can still to stop their reign of terror.”
As she spoke, there was a small clanging sound from outside, but they were too engrossed in her speech to notice.
“So, what are we going to do? How do you propose we end this?” Stephen asked.
“I’ll tell you all that tomorrow when we gather here again. I don’t want to bother you with so much information. Right now, though, we have to begin preparations for the grand finale. That’s what this meeting is about.”
“Wait a second. Why are you going to keep your plans secret from us? Aren’t we supposed to be a team here? If we’re going to work together, I’m going to need you to be transparent with me,” Stephen said.
Suzanne took a deep breath.
“Chill out, Steve,” Aaliyah said. “It’s not as if she said she wouldn’t tell us the plan. She’s just giving it to us step by step.”
“Thank you, Ali,” Suzanne said as she nodded to the girl. “If you paid more attention to what I said with a mind to understand and not to criticize, you’d understand me clearly, Steve. I’m not keeping any secrets from you. I have nothing to gain from helping America. I’ve lost everything. Even if you don’t trust me, the least you can do is to r
espect the sacrifices I’ve made to save each of you from death.”
She and Stephen stared at each other for a while; then, Stephen sighed.
“I’m sorry. There’s just so much conspiracy going on. I can hardly breathe,” he said.
Suzanne smiled at him and nodded.
“If I said I wasn’t afraid, I’d be lying to you. But then, we all have very little to lose. If we don’t do this, we’ll all die. If we do it, we’re still very likely to die; so, don’t be afraid.”
When Stephen nodded at her, she continued.
“We’re going to be needing help. I’m sure each of us has allies. You’ll need their help now. Stephen, I’ll need you to head off to Fort Hamilton military base in Brooklyn to get us weapons. More importantly, you’re going to do what the Ray of Hope feared you’d do the most: you’re going to get military allies- people that can help us. Go with Bucky. You’ll have to be careful, though. Some of them are Russians in disguise. The Russians who were placed in the military will not be leaving until the migration is over.”
Stephen nodded his head.
“So how are we going to know who is Russian in disguise? We can’t just go barging into the enemy’s camp without knowing who the enemy is” he asked.
Suzanne was quiet for a while as she thought about his question.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. The best I could come up with was a form of greeting we used. Usually, we are all compelled to reply once another comrade greets us that way. I think it should work,” she said finally. She took out a pen and a piece of paper; then, she wrote on it and gave Stephen.
Privetstvovat’ Solntse.
He tried to say it, but it didn’t sound right in his mouth. Suzanne ended up taking the next couple of minutes, teaching him how to say it like an indigene. After countless tries, she became satisfied.
“Say it like that and no one will suspect a thing,” she said as she sat down.
“What does that even mean?” Xander asked.
“Hail the Sun,” she replied. “Xander, Aaliyah helped us scout the whole of New York and she found this desktop computer,” Suzanne said, nodding to a computer on a desk by the wall. “It runs on Windows 7 which is enough to handle what we need. I hope you learned how to hack?”